We’re living in a world where content creators have more access to their fans than ever and vice versa (a Post-Empire world, as Bret Easton Ellis would say), and we’re all still trying to figure out where the line between “too much” and “just enough” fan interaction is. Star Trek writer Roberto Orci seems to have found it recently, when, after arguing with fans on a Star Trek message board, he deleted his Twitter account. Which is a big loss, frankly, because his timeline was a constant spew of nutty 9/11 conspiracy theories and I always found it pretty entertaining.

Wait, today is 9/11. A famous 9/11 “truther” deleted his Twitter account on 9/11? Are we sure this isn’t a conspiracy? (*Jesse Ventura voice*) TURN THIS PLANE AROUND!

In any case, if the current lamestream media accounts of events from various sources are to be believed, it all started with an editorial on a Star Trek message board last week entitled “Star Trek is Broken, Here’s How to Fix It.” A commenter named “BobOrci” showed up to take issue with the post and some of the comments. Which is impressive, because I’d rather be sodomized by a wasp’s nest than read 1700 words on the travesty of today’s Star Trek not living up to the version envisioned by a guy who died 20 years ago, let alone the 1,000+ comments beneath it.

Some of BobOrci’s comments:

I think the article above is akin to a child acting out against his parents. Makes it tough for some to listen, but since I am a loving parent, I read these comments without anger or resentment, no matter how misguided

Having said that, two biggest Star Treks in a row with best reviews is hardly a description of “broken.” And frankly, your tone and attidude make it hard for me to listen to what might otherwise be decent notions to pursue in the future. Sorry, Joseph. As I love to say, there is a reason why I get to write the movies, and you don’t.

Respect all opinions, always, nonetheless.

[later, in response to a comparison between Star Trek Into Darkness and Raiders of the Lost Ark]

STID has infinetly more social commentary than Raiders in every Universe, and I say that with Harrison Ford being a friend. You lose credibility big time when you don’t honestly engage with the F*CKING WRITER OF THE MOVIE ASKING YOU AN HONEST QUESTION. You prove the cliche of sh*tty fans. And rude in the process. So, as Simon Pegg would say: F*CK OFF!

Hey, everyone has a bad day on a message board once in a while. And it’s hard to blame a guy who’s constantly taking crap from a group of the most entitled whiny fans on Earth. Later, Orci seemed contrite:

don’ take me too seriously. if you’ve been on this board for the lar 5 years (as I have beeb) you know that twice a year I explode at the morons. today, there seemed to be a congregation, so it seemed like a good time.

you are the most listened to fans ever. That doesn’t mean you will get is to do what you want. just means what I said: I listened. Then we decided, having heard as many opinions as possible. To paraphrase of one of my great and beloved heroes, George W. Bush, “we’re the deciders….

That was nine days ago. While he seemed embarrassed about it, the cached version of Orci’s Twitter timeline since then was nothing out of the ordinary, a mix of “sorry about that” and “QUESTION EVERYTHING, SHEEPLE!”

Then, some time between yesterday and today, his Twitter account went offline. So… what do you think? Is he just trying to prevent future freakouts, or could this some 9/11-timed lizard people plot? THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY COINCIDENCES! I’ll have more news as it comes, if I can keep the government from reading my thoughts (I’m wearing women’s underwear, so I think I’m safe).

As for Star Trek Into Darkness, obnoxious fanboys always like to blame things they don’t like on unfaithfulness to the canon, but that’s almost always misplaced whining. STID was great until the last 20 minutes or so when it got hopelessly, unnecessarily convoluted. Here’s another Orci comment that I find more illuminating:

Ahmed, I wish you knew what you were talking about. I listened more than any other person behind the Trek franchise has EVER listened. And guess what? Glad I did becuase it lead to 2 biggest Trek’s ever.

You think action and thinking are mutually exclusive. Ok, then. Pitch me Into Darkness. Pitch me the plot, and let’s comapre it to other pitches. Go ahead. Let’s see if you actually understood the movie. Tell me what happened?

It sounds like he’s insulting a guy for not understanding his movie, but who’s that really insulting? I know most people are dildo-brained simpletons, but ideally, your goal should be to communicate an idea, not to confuse people, shouldn’t it? It seems like somewhere around the time Christopher Nolan became popular, screenwriters started trying to constantly trick and confuse part of their audience to give the ones who got it a smug sense of satisfaction. And then at some point they went too far and out plot-twisted themselves. Kind of like how I just got tricked into having serious opinions about Star Trek. Pardon me, I have to go melvin myself now.

Cripes McGillicutty! What a tool. If you’re going to go on those message boards and engage with fans and respond to their criticism, actually respond to their criticism – don’t just insult them. Or don’t go on there at all.

Fuuuuuck, “that’s why I get to write the movies” is the weakest of comebacks. A *lot* of people get to write movies. Seltzer and Friedberg don’t make me feel inadequate. Aaron Sorkin keeps getting to write TV shows, and he needs a visit from the cockpunching robot posthaste.

Another conspiracy is I believe they dedicated Into Darkness to the people who died on 9/11and the movie came out on video yesterday 9/10. Also as much as I love Blu Ray it does not roll off the tongue quite like Dvd does.

Roberto Orci is a hack, plain and simple, who gets to boast about “biggest Star Trek ever” for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with him. You mean to tell me that a major motion picture, with a huge special effects budget, an engaging cast, built-in fanbase and incessant marketing was an enormous blockbuster? GET RIGHT OUTTA TOWN. You know what other movie was a huge summer blockbuster once upon a time? Wild Wild West. And we all know how many people see that as an ageless classic.

Orci is awful. I can’t stand that this toolbag gets to put his name on movies that make a lot of money and then somehow be given any measure of credit for their success. They succeed in spite of his horrendous writing, not because of it. Transformers 2 is the perfect example of what we should now call the “Orci Effect” – if you combine Enough Hype + Long Running Popular Franchise + Tons of Explosions and CGI = Blockbuster Regardless of Awful Writing.

He sounds less like a writer and more like a wrestling heel whose gimmick is that he’s a movie writer. “You fans suck! I’m the one whose movies are number one! And tonight, when I hit Randy Orton with the Blockbuster from the top rope, I’m gonna be your NEW champion!”

I love the last two Star Trek movies, but I’m a casual Trek fan at best and don’t give two shits about how faithful it is. I just wanted them to be solid summer blockbuster entertainment and they were.